Development of Novel High Efficiency Single-Layer Gas Diffusion Layers for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

 

Abstract

    In this study, a series of single-layer gas diffusion layers(SL-GDL-Gx, x=1-3) for application in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) were successfully prepared by addition of various amount of graphene in a home-made composite-based single-layer gas diffusion layer (SL-GDL) prepared with a simple and inexpensive process. The surface morphologies of the as-prepared SL-GDL-Gx were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and found that all the SL-GDLs had micro-porous layer (MPL)-like structures, in which the carbon black and VGCF powders were well-dispersed and covered on surface of the added graphene layers. The characteristics of the as-prepared SL-GDL-Gx, including electronic resistance, gas permeability, mechanical property, and hydrophobicity, were investigated. The fabrication of the SL-GDL­-Gx–based membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for PEMFC was carried out by hot-pressing the assembly of NRE212 and the Pt catalyst coated SL-GDE-Gx electrodes. It was found that the best performance of the PEMFCs fabricated with SL-GDL-Gx measured at 80°C under the humidified H₂/O₂system was obtained from the one with SL-GDL-G3, which contained 5.0% of graphene, and was approximately 77.8% higher than that of the one fabricated with SL-GDL, and as efficient as that of the one fabricated with SGL 35BC, a commercial dual-layer GDL.

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge National Science Council, Taiwan, R.O.C and Chung Yuan Christian University for supporting the research work.

Table1.

SL-GDL-Gx (x=1-3)	Graphene amount (wt%)
SL-GDL-G1	0.0
SL-GDL-G2	2.5
SL-GDL-G3	5.0